Courtney Howard // Film Critic
FORGOTTEN ISLAND
Rated PG, 1 hour and 50 minutes
Directed by: Joel Crawford, Januel P. Mercado
Starring: Liza Soberano, H.E.R., Dave Franco, Lea Salonga, Manny Jacinto, Kevin McCann, Jenny Slate, Ronny Chieng, Jo Koy, Dolly De Leon
It’s hard for people to make friends at any age in a judgmental world, let alone as impressionable children. For tween girls especially, it can be extra difficult if their personality and interests are on the wacky, eccentric side. Yet for everyone who found their best friend during that formative time, FORGOTTEN ISLAND plays like a resounding anthem. Directors/ writers Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado’s heartfelt and hilarious coming-of-age comedy-adventure is centered on two goofball besties exploring an enchanted land of legend on the eve of their adult lives threatening to diverge. A loving tribute to the weirdos of the world whose creative spirits run wild, as well as a celebration of female friendship, magical realism and Filipino culture, it’s not only one of the best animated films of the year, it’s one of the best films of the year. Period.
Slacker artist Jo (H.E.R.) and Type-A smartypants Raissa (Liza Soberano, who continues her career of being a standout performer) forged a lifelong bond when they met outside of the principal’s office in grade school in 1990. Loner new kid Jo gave a passionate show-and-tell presentation to the class that went haywire, alienating her from her fellow students – all but one, at least. Raissa stood up for her, using her smarts to help prove her pal’s beliefs right. Raised by her grandmother Lola (Dolly De Leon), Jo’s been regaled with tall tales of a mystical forgotten land called Nakali, filled with magical, mythical creatures including a winged, bifurcated vampire, the Dreaded Manananggal (Lea Salonga), who terrorizes the island’s inhabitants. In the years after becoming fast friends, as we see in a montage set to INXS’ ballad “Never Tear Us Apart,” the pair faces down adversities and shares many adventures – all of which add charm-like talismans to their homemade friendship bracelets, racking up memories together. However, the dynamic duo are about to face their biggest challenge yet: adulthood.
Raissa, struggling to be the perfect daughter, is set to leave the comforts of her hometown in the Philippines and go to CalTech in the States for college. This means leaving Jo behind, all alone, at her job in a fast-food chicken restaurant. Jo struggles to be supportive, yet she just can’t stay out of her own way, and winds up jeopardizing her bestie’s future when, during their final celebration on the night before Raissa’s due to leave, she opens up a secret portal to Nakali. The two awaken on the island’s sandy, sparkly shores without any memory of how they got there. They also learn 12 hours have passed and can’t remember any details of what’s transpired, how Raissa’s hair has been singed off, why Jo has a tattoo and how a hybrid boy-dog named Raww (Dave Franco) knows them. Oh, and Raissa has apparently stolen Manananggal’s sentient wings. Their odyssey takes them through unfamiliar turf, meeting colorful characters like demon baby Bungi Tiyanak (Manny Jacinto), arrogant MerMan (Kevin McCann), don’t-call-him-cute Duwende King Truffle Wuffle (Ronny Chieng), tree giant Datu (Jo Koy), and agoraphobic cat Batiba (Jenny Slate), whose motives to collect memories have a sinister side.
FORGOTTEN ISLAND is kind of like THE HANGOVER meets SPIRITED AWAY meets 8 cans of Four Loko. Its vibrant energy is turned up to 11 – and it all works. Emotions resound on a heightened timbre. Tonal fluctuations in the material are brilliantly balanced between the light-hearted, highly comedic hijinks and the darker, scarier aspects, many of which deal with Manananggal’s arc. Themes ruminating on selflessness, betrayal and memory are handled with assured craft and care. The gals’ complex circumstance – learning the benefits of sacrifice and empowering each other to become their best selves – holds gobs of poignancy for those who’ve ever been lucky enough to be in that type of friendship. The tough and tender growing pains of girlhood haven’t been this uproariously funny since BOOKSMART.
After Disney’s animated features have been sanitized and far too careful for the past decade, shying away from depicting villains and/or any negative activities that might be imitated, it’s nice to see a spiritual successor to LILO & STITCH pick up the torch. The filmmakers embrace the rabble-rousers’ anarchic abilities to quickly conjure pure insanity, showing tons of bad behavior, from playing with fireworks, sneaking out of the house and stripping their bully’s car to stealing a bus (one that eventually becomes their beachside fort) and causing a military incident with their rocket. It’s all done with well-meaning heart and hilarity in mind, but that it exists at all is quite the feat. Chaos reigns with these heroines and it feels gratifying to see their tempestuous fire, imperfections and insecurities used as strengths.
The cultural Filipino touchstones hold perfect prominence. There’s a universality found in the specificity. Foods, folklore, family and the native language all hold resonance, occasionally subtle in their inclusion, but (almost literally) speaking volumes in their profundity. Plus, the disapproving Jesus portrait is used for great comedic effect.
Character designs and movements also earn top marks. There’s an illustrative language with which we’re in constant dialogue. Animators gift their ensemble with wide-ranging emotions, from the highly detailed and overt to nuanced and covert reactions. The ladies’ movements are expressive, owing a debt to Japanese anime stylizations and a borrowing a little of the aesthetics of the SPIDER-VERSE movies. Blacklight and rave culture also feel like influenced pulls. Jo dancing along to DMX’s “Party Up” is a highlight. Environments are dazzling, both in the real world and the mystical one. Raww going half dog to “full dog” is cleverly designed. Batiba’s fluffy, weighty heft is tactile and textured, hinting at her ulterior motives as she’s stuffed with secrets.
Though we’re left with a few nagging questions, wondering what memory Lola traded to return home and what revelation spurred Manananggal’s inevitable resolution, overall we’re satisfied with the outcome. There’s a certain sense of melancholy romanticism behind the film’s sentiment that if people stop telling their family’s enriched, wild histories, those stories are destined to be forgotten. But this is one tale that will be remembered for a long time.
Grade: A
FORGOTTEN ISLAND opens in theaters on September 25.
